Toy device for launching and intercepting rotary wing flying targets



3,271,033 ARY F. R. PARKER Sept. 6, 1966 TOY DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND INTERCEPTING ROT WING FLYING TARGETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTOR. @5050! AMA 5e x;

A rmeA Ey Sept. 6, 1966 F. R. PARKER 3,271,033

TOY DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND INTERCEPTING ROTARY WING FLYING TARGETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 m 7 6 0 019 g I! 3. I M W 2 j 4 5. J J W 6 V lfi/ 1 f w 2 w 1 M m 0 4 1 a 1 4 2 M M mwm i Mi, MW 2 lfl w w United States Patent 3,271,033 TOY DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND INTER- CEPTING ROTARY WING FLYING TARGETS Frederick R. Parker, Long Beach, Calif., assiguor of onehalf to Johnny E. Johnson, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,647 9 Claims. (Cl. 273-101) The present invention relates generally to a mechanical toy, and more particularly to a toy device formed to resemble a hand gun for launching into flight a rotary wing flying target and for thereafter shooting a missile therefrom at such flying target.

This invention in some respects constitutes an improvement on the subject of applicants prior US. Patent No. 2,994,155.

Heretofore, mechanical toys involving the launching of target devices into the air followed by the shooting of missiles at such launched target devices, have required the use of at least two separate devices, usually necessitating their operation by two separate operators. The resultant complications of construction and operation of two such devices were such as to present handling and operating difiiculties in excess of the usual capabilities of a child; and another disadvantage associated with such separate toy units of this type, as handled by children, resides in the irnprobability that both of the necessary units will be readily located for simultaneous use.

Another disadvantageous feature of toys of this type has heretofore resided in their undue mechanical complication and structural delicacy, which generally unsuits them to the kind of rough usage to which they are subjected.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a single device capable of performing both the target launching and missile shooting operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a single device capable of performing the aforesaid target launching and missile shooting operations in rapid succession.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a combined target launching and missile shooting device in a form resembling a hand gun, which will be attractive and entertaining, and adapted to the coordination aptitude of children.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a combination target launching and missile shooting device resembling a hand gun, but which will have a minimum of moving parts and structural features which might be injurious to one handling the gun or against which either the target device or missile might be launched.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a mechanically improved toy for manually launching a rotary wing target device into flight.

It is another object of this invention to provide a target launching device of the before mentioned type having increased simplicity and sturdiness of construction, such as to have a long service life under the rough usage to be expected from children.

The objects of this invention are accomplished in general by combining both a target launching means and a missile propelling means in a single unitary assembly, constructed in a form resembling a hand gun having an elongated barrel body and butt portion provided with forward and rearward pistol type hand grips for convenience of simultaneous rapid aiming, target launching, and missile shooting operations. A target launching member is movably mounted above the barrel on a top portion of the forward hand grip portion, which extends over the top of the barrel and *is slidable therewith along a predetermined length of the barrel. A vertical shaft Patented Sept. 6, 1966 is rotatably mounted in the launching member and is provided with an upper end launching disk member adapted detachably to drivingly engage the underside of the hub portion of a rotary wing flying target device. An elongated flexible member, such as a length of cord, is tightly wrapped around an intermediate portion of the vertical shaft, such flexible member extending parallel with and along the upper side of the barrel and being anchored at adjacent opposite ends of the gun barrel and body. Thus, when the launching means is slidingly moved along the barrel by movement of the forward hand grip, the shaft is rotated by the flexible member as it travels along the barrel relative to the string. The resulting rotation is transmitted to the rotary wing target device with the result that it is imparted sufficient rotational speed to lift itself off of the launching disk and to rise upwardly and forwardly in the air in free flight. An elongated cylinder is also provided within the barrel of the assembly containing a piston, which is moved through the barrel simultaneously with the motion of the forward hand grip in launching the rotary wing target device. Upon return movement of the forward hand grip, following launching of the target device, the piston causes air to be compressed in the cylinder, which is communicated to a forwardly projecting missile launching nozzle located in the upper rearward portion of the gun body. A missile which is formed to resemble a rocket device is fric-tionally mounted in forwardly directed position on the forward end of the launching nozzle. When the thus compressed air reaches a sufficient pressure, the missile is released and propelled forwardly in a direction controllable by aiming the gun. By skillful manipulation of the gun the missile can be caused to hit the previously launched flying target.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of novelty of this invention will be evident hereinafter.

In the drawings which illustrated a preferred embodiment and mode of operation of the invention and in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the complete assembly of the toy gun device embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, partly in longitudinal section, taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view through the portion of the missile launching means indicated within circle 3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the rearward portion of the device taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE ,5 is a cross sectional view of the forward hand grip portion of the device taken on line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE -6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional detail view of the rear end portion of a piston slidably contained within a cylinder housed within the rearward body portion of the gun device.

FIGURE 6:; is a still further enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional, detail view of the portion of FIG- URE 6 indicated within the circle 6a.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross sectional detail view of the target launching mechanism of the device taken on line 77 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the forward end portion of the gun barrel.

Referring first principally to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus assembly indicated generally at 10 includes a hollow, relatively thin walled housing formed of a pair of concavo-convex, right and left hand half sections, as shown at 12 and 14, which, except for certain slotted intervals as hereinafter described, are butted together in mutual engagement at their inner edges on a vertical parting plane. The external configuration of the housing is such as to present the appearance of a stylized gun having an integrally formed, rearwardly extending butt portion 16 having a downwardly extending hollow hand grip portion 18, an overlying, forwardly directed missile launching support portion 21, and a forwardly extending elongated tubular barrel portion 20 terminating at its forward end in a hollow muzzle like enlargement 22, the latter being best illustrated in the exploded view at 22a and 22b in FIGURE 8. The two complementary, left and right hand half sections 12 and 14 of the housing are separably held together in the before mentioned positions by means of a plurality of crosswise extending screw fasteners, as indicated at 24 in *FIGUR'ES 2 and 8.

At the forward juncture of the barrel portion 20 and the muzzle like enlargement 22 is formed a barrel en-. circling, rearwardly facing stop shoulder 26, and at the rearward juncture of the barrel 20 and the forward end of the butt portion 16 is formed a barrel encircling, forwardly facing stop shoulder 28.

Axially slidable along the lower surface of the barrel portion 20 between the stop shoulders 26 and 28, is a forwardly located, downwardly extending, hollow hand grip 30, the lower gripping portion of which has a shape similar or identical to that of the *before described hand grip portion 18 and is formed, like the before described housing, of a pair of concavo-convex, right and left hand half sections 32 and 34 butted together in mutual engagement at their inner edges on a vertical parting plane, and held together by means of a plurality of crosswise extending screw fasteners, as indicated at 36 and 37 in FIG- URE 2. The upper end portions of each of the before mentioned opposite halves 32 and 34 of the hand grip 30 are provided with integrally formed outwardly, upwardly curving flanges 38 and 40, the upper surfaces of which conform in shape with the under surface of the barrel portion 20 and are held in slidable engagement therewith in a manner hereinafter described, to serve in part as guiding means for rearward and forward sliding motion of the hand grip 30 and its associated mechanism. Extending vertically into and from the upper, hollow end .of the forward hand grip portion '30 is a relatively thin,

launching shaft supporting plate member 44. The lower end of the plate member 44 has formed therefihrough an elongated aperture 46, which makes coupling engagement over the opposite inner abutting ends of a pair of inwardly extending supporting flanges 43 and '45, each of which is formed integrally on the inner concave surface of its corresponding half 32 and 34, respectively, of the hand grip 30. The supporting plate 44 is also provided with holes through which two of the before mentioned crosswise extending fasteners 87 extend. The supporting plate 44 is thus securely attached in centrally, upwardly extending position in the top end portion of the hand grip 30.

The upper portion of the supporting plate 44 extends upwardly from the top of the hand grip 30 through elongated slots, which run between forward and rearward end limits, as shown at 48 and 50, respectively, along the length of the upper and lower surfaces of the barrel portion 20 on the parting plane between the housing halves 12 and 14. On the upper end portion of the supporting plate 44 is formed a pair of parallel, vertically separated, laterally extending, upper and lower flanges 52 and 54, respectively. The lower surface of the lower flange 54 bears longitudinally slidably on the upper surface of the gun barrel portion 20, and together with the hereinbefore mentioned curved flanges 38 and 40 bearing on the under side of the barrel portion 20, serve as guidance means for the longitudinal sliding movement of the hand grip 30 and its associated mechanism along the barrel between the before mentioned stop shoulders 26 and 28.

Also formed in the upper portion of the supporting plate 44 is an integral, vertically extending, cylindrical enlargement 56 having an axial bore therein, which contains and rotatably supports a vertical spinner shaft 58, the upper end 58a of which extends through both flanges 52 and 54 and projects above the upper flange 52 and carries thereon an integrally formed launching disk 60. The lower end of shaft 58 carries an integrally formed head 59. An opening 62 is provided through the portion of plate 44 intermediate the flanges 52 and 54 and intersecting the bore of the enlargement 56, thereby exposing the spinning shaft 58 at that point to permit the winding thereon of a plurality of turns of an elongated flexible member, such as a cord 64. The cord 64 extends under tension, parallel to and along the top surface of the gun barrel portion 20 between forward and rearward attachment means 66 and 67, respectively. Another opening 65 is provided through the plate 44 below the cylindrical enlargement 56 exposing the .lower end of the spinner shaft 58 and the head 59, the opening 65 being wide enough to clear the head 59 and to permit freedom for lengthwise movement of the shaft within the limit of the length of the opening 65 as determined by the head 59. The launching disk 60 is provided with an upstanding, integrally formed dog 68 which, together with the upwardly protruding end portion 58:: of the spinner shaft 58, serves to make detachable driving engagement with a central hub 70 of a rotary wing target device 72. The hub 70 is formed with a central hole in which slidably fits the upwardly projecting end 58a of the spinner shaft 58. The hub is also formed with a plurality of radial webs on the inner under surface thereof, which make nonrotational, detachable engagement with the before mentioned upstanding dog 68.

The rotary wing target device 72 comprises the before mentioned central hub 70, from which radially outwardly extend a plurality of integrally formed, equiangularly spaced apart air foils 76, the outer ends of which terminate at and are interconnected by an integral, circular ring 78. Each of the air foils 76 is positioned at an angle of incidence relative to the plane of the ring 78 and relative to its direction of rotary motion, such that the air will impart a lifting force to the target device upon rotation thereof in the proper direction.

The hereinbefore mentioned forward muzzle end enlargement portion 22 of the barrel 20 is provided through the upper surface thereof centered on the parting plane of its two halves 22a and 22b with a central slot 80 which extends longitudinally thereof between end shoulders 82 and 84, such slot being formed by relief of a portion of the adjacent edge of the housing walls, as best shown in FIGURE 8. Extending through the slot 80 is a combined forward gun sight means and cord tightenmg lever 86. The inner end of the lever 86 is pivotally mounted within the enlarged housing portion 22 by means of an integrally formed, crosswise extending pintle 88, the opposite ends of which are rotatably supported in bearing holes formed in a pair of bosses located in the interior upper portions of the opposite halves 22a and 22b of the housing enlargement 22, one of which bosses and bearing holes is shown at 90 in FIGURE 8. The forward end of the lever 86 is provided with a downwardly extending, crosswise positioned latch head 92, WhlCh is adapted by slight bending action of the lever, to make latching engagement within a cross slot formed by the notches 94 and 96 when placed together upon assembling the halves 22a and 22b. The latch member 92 and slot 94, 96 thus serve to releasably lock the lever 86 in its most forwardly pivotally retracted position, as shown in FIGURE 2. The lever 86 is provided with an edge slot 98 for attachment thereto of a relatively short section of elastic material, such as a short rubber band, as shown at 102 in FIGURE 2. The forward end of the cord 64 is attached to the outer end of the elastic material 102, as shown at 104 in FIGURE 2,

and this constitutes the hereinbefore mentioned forward attachment and tensioning means 66 for the cord 64.

Contained within the butt portion 16 between forwardly located oppositely, transversely extending, apertured web members 106 and 108, rearwardly located transversely extending web members 106 and 109, and cradled in apertured intermediate web members 110 and 111, is :an air compressor cylinder 112. The cylinder 112 is formed with a bore 114 which is closed at the rearward end 116 and open at the forward end thereof. Slidably extending into the forward end of the cylinder bore 114 of the cylinder 112 is a piston and piston rod assembly comprising a piston 118 having a ring groove 120 thereon containing an O-ring 122. The forward inner edge portion of the ring groove 120 is forwardly divergingly curved, as best shown at 124 in FIGURE 6,'

such that upon rearward movement of the piston 118 relative to the bore 114 of the cylinder 112, the O-ring 122 will be moved and tend to be expanded thereby circumferentially into sliding sealing engagement between the surface 124 of the piston and the inside surface of the cylinder bore 114. The rearward, inner surface of the ring groove 120 extends radially without curvature and is provided with a pair of slots extending radially inwardly from the outer edge thereof, as best shown at 126 and 128 in FIGURES 6 and 6a, such that upon forward movement of the piston 118 relative to the bore 114, the O-ring will be moved out of such sealing engagement and against the rearward surface of the groove 120, whereby air entering from the forward end of the bore 114 past the piston 118 can flow under the O-ring and through the slots 126 and 128 into the closed end of the cylinder.

Extending forwardly from the piston is a short piston guidance section comprising a disk member 130 having an outside diameter substantially the same as that of the piston .118, both of which make reasonably close, but free sliding fit within the bore 114 of the cylinder. The guidance disk 130 is connected to the piston 118 by an intervening strut member consisting of a pair of integrally formed crosswise intersecting webs, as shown at 132. Extending forwardly from the guidance disk 130 and integrally formed with such guidance disk 130 is an elongated piston strut member 134 formed with a cross section similar to that of the intermediate strut portion 132, but of reduced transverse dimensions. At the outer end of the piston strut member 134 is a generally elliptically shaped guide member 136 which extends crosswise of the tubular barrel portion 20 with its upper and lower surfaces thereof in loose, guiding, slidable relation to the inside upper and lower surfaces of the barrel 20. Extending forward of and integrally formed with the guidance member 136 is a pair of horizontally separated rod members 138 and 140 closed at their forward ends by an integral cross member 142, thereby forming between the rod members 138 and 140 and between the guide member 136 and end cross member 142 a rectangular, axially extending slot 144. The hereinbefore described supporting plate 44 extends through the slot 144 and between the rod members 138 and 140, which are slidable axially relative to one another within the limits of the length of the slot 144.

The rearwardly facing edge portion of the supporting plate member 44, which extends between the upper and lower inner surfaces of the interior of the tubular barrel portion 20, is provided on opposite sides thereof with a pair of laterally, outwardly extending, vertically separated guide prongs 146 and !148 forming therebetween on each side of the plate 44 a laterally extending guidance slot, through each of which one of the rod members 138 and 140 extends. The rearward edges of the guide prongs 146 and 148 on opposite sides of the plate 44 are brought into engagement with the forwardly facing side of the guide member 136, when the supporting plate 44 and the hand grip 30 attached thereto are in the rearmost 6 positionrelative to the slot 144, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2.

Making a frictional fit through a port 150 through the side of the cylinder 112 adjacent the closed end 116 thereof is a flexible hose 152. The hose 152 extends upwardly and forwardly within the hollow portion of the butt portion 116 and makes connection with the rear end of a missile launching nozzle or tube 154, which is supported in a forwardly directed position in the forward end of the overlying, forwardly projecting, missile launching support portion 21 of the butt portion 16 of the housing. The missile launching tube 154 is detachably retained in the forward end of the supporting member 21 by means of a pair of integrally formed annular enlargements 158 and 160 thereon which form a groove therebetween which makes engagement with the two halves of an inwardly extending annular flange 161 formed integrally on the inside surface of the supporting member 156 when the housing halves are assembled together. Also formed on an intermediate portion of the tube :154 is an annular flange 162, which extends out over and makes engagement with the forward end of the supporting member 21. Retainingly snapped over the annular flange 162, as best shown in FIGURE 3, is a generally annular shaped coupling member 164, preferably made of a semi-resilient, flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene. The inner rearward portion of the coupling member 164 is provided with an inwardly facing annular groove 166, the rearward portion of which is occupied by the before mentioned annular flange 162 leaving a forward portion 167 of the groove of slightly reduced inside diameter to be releasably engaged by an annular enlargement 176 on the rear end of the body of the missile to be launched, as hereinafter more fully described.

The missile, shown in general at .170 in FIGURES l, 2, and 3, comprises an elongated central tubular body portion 172, closed at the forward end by means of a rubber bumper member 174 and terminating at the rear end thereof in the before mentioned annular enlargement 176. The tubular 'body member 172 of the missile 170 is provided with a plurality of integrally formed, radially extending, forwardly tapering, thin guide vanes 178, there being four such guide vanes at right angles to one another, as specifically shown herein.

In installing the missile 170 on the gun in position for firing, the forward end portion of the nozzle or tube 154 is inserted into the rear end of the tubular body portion 172 of the missile, and they are moved together in coupling engagement such that the before mentioned annular enlargement 176 on the rear end of the tubular body portion 172 snaps into the inwardly facing, annular groove 167 within the coupling member 164 adjacent the forward surface of the annular flange 162.

The operation of the apparatus of the invention is as follows: Preparatory to operation, the cord 64, which preferably is left in a slack condition when not in use, is placed under suitable tension by pivoting the lever 86 forwardly .to its maximum forwardly pivoted latched position, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the elastic member 102 thereby being placed under tension which, in turn, places and maintains the proper tension in the cord 64.

With the missile @170 installed, as hereinbefore described, and with the forward hand grip 30 in its rearmost position relative to the hand grip 18, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the rotary wing target device is installed on the top of the launching disk 60 with the upper projecting end of the shaft 58a in engagement with the central hole in the under side of the hub 70 and with the dog member 68 in engagement with one of the radially extending web members on the lower side thereof. The gun S10 is then held, with one hand gripping the hand grip 30 and the other hand gripping the hand grip 18 in such an attitude that the shaft 58 and the longitudinal axis of the bore 20 is in a forwardly extending, vertical plane extending in the direction of the desired flight path of the rotary target device 72. Next, the forwardhand grip is vigorously pushed forwardly along the barrel 20 from the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, until its forward motion is checked by contact of the forward edges of the guide flanges 38 and 40 with the stop shoulder 26 in the position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. During such forward travel of the hand grip 30, the plate member 44 and the associated appa ratus attached thereto, the cord 64, by reason of its encir-clement of the spinner shaft '58, imparts rapid rotation thereto, which rotation is transmitted from the launching disk 60 to the rotary wing target device. Also by reason of the encirclement of the spinner shaft 58 by the cord, the shaft 58 and disk 60 are imparted an upward displacement relative to their support in the plate 44, as illustrated in broken lines at 58b and 6%. Such freedom for upward displacement of the spinner shaft as it turns eliminates the necessity for the turns of the cord to slide on the shaft as it rotates with resultant piling up or overlapping of the turns of cord around the shaft, as often would occur, if the endwise movement of the spinner shaft were prevented.

Because of the frictional engagement of the upper end of the spinner shaft 58a and the upwardly extending dog 68 of the disk 60 within the hub 70 of the rotary wing target device during the forward, upward, and rotational acceleration thereof, the rotary wing device will usually remain seated on the launching disk 60 until the forward stroke of the launching mechanism, as controlled by the hand grip 30, has reached its forward limit of travel, as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2. By the time the launching mechanism has thus been stopped at the forward limit of its stroke, the rotational speed of the target device 72 will usually exceed the minimum required for the creation of sufiicient lift by the air foils 76 to disengage the hub 70 from the launching disk 60, following which the thus disengaged, rapidly spinning target device will rise, as illustrated in broken lines at 72a, and soar into free flight to a considerable height above and in the direction of inclination of the rotor shaft 58.

Meanwhile, during the forward stroke of the hand grip 30, the forward edge portion 180 of the plate member 44 has been brought into engagement with the end closure member 142 of the forward end of the slot 144 and has thereby moved the rod members 138 and 140, piston strut members 134, 132, and piston 118 to the forwardmost position thereof within the bore 114 of the barrel 112. During the resultant forward movement of the piston 118 within the bore 114, the O-ring 122 in the piston slot 120 by reason of its frictional dragging engagement with the bore wall is displaced rearwardly away from contact with the forwardly divergingly curved surface 124 on the forward inner portion of the ring groove 120, thereby permitting the bypassing of air downward past the forward edge of the O-ring and thereunder through the slots 126 and 128 into the bore of the cylinder. Upon completion of the forward stroke of the hand grip 30 in the rotary wing target launching stroke thereof, as heretofore described, the hand grip 30 is then vigorously moved rearwardly along the barrel 20 until its rearward motion is checked at the original position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, by contact of the rearward edge of the hand grip flanges 37 and 38 with the stop shoulder 28. During such rearward movement of the hand grip 30, the plate 44 will move rearwardly within the slot 144 until the rear edge portion and the prongs 146 and 148 and the rear edge of plate 44 are brought into engagement with the forward face of the guide member 136, whereupon the piston strut member 134, 132 and the piston 118 on the inner end thereof will be imparted rearward motion toward the closed end 116 of the cylinder bore 114. During such rearward motion of the piston 118 the O-ring 122 by reason of the frictional drag against the inside wall of the bore 14, will be carried forwardly relative to the curved surface 124 of the piston 118 and thereby moved into sealing engagement between the surface 124 and the bore 114, as best shown in FIGURE 6a, thereby preventing escape of air forwardly therebetween. The resultant compression of the air in the cylinder 112 will cause a flow of air under such pressure through the flexible hose connection 152 into the launching tube 154. When the pressure in the cylinder and launching tube 154 reaches a value during the rearward stroke of the piston 118 sufficient to produce suflicient thrust in the tubular body member 172 of the missile to overcome the grasp of the recess or annular groove 167 upon the annular enlargement 176 at the rear end of the tubular body 172 of the missile, the missile will be suddenly released and propelled forwardly off of the launching tube 154 with such velocity as usually to have sufficient range to reach and, if skillfully directed, impact against the previously launched rotary wing target device.

With experience in operation, the necessary skill may be acquired in controlling the relative vigorousness with which the forward and rearward strokes of the launching mechanisms must be made and also in the attitudes in which the gun device must be placed and aimed to bring the flight of the rotary wing target device and the projectory of the missile device within relative ranges at which a hit of the missile upon the flying target device is reasonably possible.

All of the hereinbefore described components of the apparatus of this invention, except the cord 64, elastic connection 102, hose 152, bumper 174, and O-ring 122, are preferably made of a suitable plastic material, such as polyethylene and preferably formed by the well known injection molding die process.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative only of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that the invention is not limited thereby, but may include various modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art without distinguishing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target andfor propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a body portion;

launching means rotatably mounted on said body portion for detachably drivingly engaging a rotary wing target device and actuata-ble for imparting flying rotational speed thereto;

mounting means on said body portion for detachably supporting a missile thereon including means for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said body portion;

and means carried by said body portion and manually actuata'ble for sequentially imparting by movement in one direction such rotation to said launching means and by movement in another direction for detaching and effecting such propulsion of such missile from said mounting means.

2. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target and for propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a body portion;

a pair of hand grips mounted on said body portion for movement relative to one another;

launching means rotatably mounted on said body portion for detachably drivingly engaging a rotary wing flying target device and actuatable for imparting flying rotational speed thereto; mounting means on said body portion for detachably supporting a missile thereon in position including means for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said body portion;

means actuated by movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a first direction for actuating said launching means;

and means actuated by movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a direction opposite to said first direction for detaching and effecting such propulsion of such missile from said mounting means.

3. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target and for propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a first elongated body member;

a second member mounted on said first member for reciprocative movement therealong between limits;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said second member with its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said first member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

an elongated flexible member longitudinally fixedly suspended along the exterior of and parallel with said first member, said flexible member being attached adjacent opposite ends thereof to said first member and being wound at an intermediate portion thereof about an externally exposed portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft member relative to said flexible member resulting from movement of said second member in a first direction relative to said first member imparts rotation to said shaft to rotate such target member;

mounting means extending from said first member and including an open ended tubular member for detachably supporting in sliding coupling engagement therewith a cylindrical missile body, said tubular member being positioned for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said body member;

air compressor means in said body member;

means responsive to movement of said first and second members relative to one another in a direction opposite to said first direction for actuating said compressor means to compress a quantity of air therein;

and interconnectingmeans for delivering a quantity of air under pressure from said compressor means to said tubular member.

4. A gun device for launching a rotary wing flymg target and for propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a gun body portion including a barrel member;

a pair of hand grips mounted on said gun body portion for movement relative to one another;

a shaft rotatably mounted on one of said hand grips with its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said barrel member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

an elongated, flexible member suspended along the exterior of and parallel with said barrel member, said flexible member being attached adjacent each end thereof to said gun body portion and being wound at an intermediate portion thereof about an externally exposed portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft and flexible member relative to one another resulting from movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a first direction imparts rotation to said shaft for imparting flying rotation to said target;

mounting means extending from said gun body portion and including an open ended tubular member for detachably supporting in sliding coupling engagement therewith a cylindrical missile body, said tubular member being positioned for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said body;

air compressor means in said gun body portion;

means responsive to movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a direction opposite to said first direction for actuating said compressor means to compress a quantity of air therein;

and interconnecting means for delivering a quantity of air under pressure from said compressor means to said tubular member.

5. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target, comprising:

a first elongated body member;

a second member mounted on said first member for reciprocative sliding movement therealong between limits;

a shaft mounted with freedom for rotation and limited axial sliding movement on said second member, with its axis positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of said first member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

and an elongated, flexible member longitudinally fixedly suspended along and parallel with said first member, said flexible member being wound about a portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft and flexible member relative to one another resulting from said reciprocative movement imparts rotation to and limited axial displacement of said shaft relative to said second member.

6. gun device for propelling a missile at a target,

comprislng:

a gun body portion;

a pair of hand grips mounted on and extending transversely of the length of said gun body portion for movement relative to one another;

mounting means extending from said gun body portion and including a tubular member for detachably supporting in sliding coupling engagement therewith a tubular missile body, said tubular member being positioned for propulsion of such missile in a predetermined direction relative to said body;

a missile having a tubular shell positioned in slidable coupling engagement with an outer end portion of said tubular member;

fastening means, releasable by a given opposing force,

for restraining said shell of said missile to said coupling engagement with said tubular member;

air compressor means in said gun body portion;

means responsive to movement of said hand grips relative to one another for actuating said compressor means to compress a quantity of air therein;

and means connecting said compressor to said tubular member for applying such compressed air therethrough to said missile, whereupon when said air reaches sufficient pressure to apply said given opposing force to release said fastening means, said missile is released and propelled thereby from said tubular member.

7. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target andfor propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a first elongated body member;

a second member mounted on said first body member for reciprocative movement therealong between limits;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said second member with its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said first body member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

an elongated flexible member longitudinally fixedly suspended along a portion of the length of said first body member, said flexible member being attached adjacent opposite ends thereof to said first body member and being wound at an intermediate portion thereof about a portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft member relative to said flexible member resulting from movement of said second member in a first direction along the length of said first body member imparts rotation to said shaft to rotate such target member;

mounting means extending from said first member and including an open ended tubular member for detachably supporting in sliding coupling engagement therewith a cylindrical missile body, said tubular member being positioned for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said first member;

air compressor means in said first member;

means responsive to movement of said second member along said first member in a direction opposite to said first direction for actuating said compressor means to compress a quantity of air therein;

and interconnecting means for delivering a quantity of such air under pressure from said compressor means to said tubular member.

8. A gun device for launching -a rotary wing flying target and for propelling a missile at such launched target, comprising:

a gun body portion including a barrel member;

a pair of hand grips mounted on said gun body portion for movement relative to one another;

a shaft rotatably mounted on one of said hand grips with its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said barrel member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

an elongated, flexible member suspended along a portion of the length of and parallel with said barrel member, said flexible member being attached adjacent each end thereof to said gun body portion and being wound at an intermediate portion thereof about a portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft and flexible member relative to one another resulting from movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a first direction imparts rotation to said shaft for imparting flying rotation to said target;

mounting means extending from said gun body portion and including an open ended tubular member for detachably supporting in sliding coupling engagement therewith a cylindrical missile body, said tubular member being positioned for propulsion of said missile in a predetermined direction relative to said gun body portion;

air compressor means in said gun body portion;

means responsive to movement of said hand grips relative to one another in a direction opposite to said first direction for actuating said compressor means to compress a quantity of air therein;

and interconnecting means for delivering a quantity of 12 such air under pressure from said compressor means to said tubular member. 9. A device for launching a rotary wing flying target,

comprising:

a first elongated body member;

a second member mounted on said first member for reciprocative movement therealong between limits;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said second member with its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said first member;

means adjacent one end of said shaft for detachably,

drivingly engaging such target device;

an elongated, flexible member longitudinally fixedly suspended lengthwise and parallel with said first member, said flexible member being attached by attachment means adjacent opposite ends thereof to said first member and being wound at an intermediate portion thereabove about a portion of said shaft, whereby movement of said shaft member lengthwise relative to such flexible member resulting from said reciprocating movement imparts rotation to said shaft;

one of said attachment means including a lever having a pivotal connection adjacent one end to said body member for pivotal movement of said lever in a plane substantially parallel with said flexible member, and to which said flexible member is connected at a point separated from said pivotal connection, whereby pivotal movement thereof between a first position and a second position varies the tension of said flexible member between a slack and a tensioned condition;

and releasable latch means for locking said lever in said second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,227 3/ 1903 Anthony 124-27 X 2,452,668 11/1948 Lee 12427 2,991,782 7/1961 Ayala 124-13 2,994,155 8/1961 Parker 4683 FOREIGN PATENTS 425,708 4/ 1911 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Examiner.

50 W. R. BROWN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING A ROTARY WINT FLYING TARGET AND FOR PROPELLING A MISSILE AT SUCH LAUNCHED TARGET, COMPRISING: A BODY PORTION; LAUNCHING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY PORTION FOR DETACHABLY DRIVINGLY ENGAGING A ROTARY WING TARGET DEVICE AND ACTUATABLE FOR IMPARTING FLYING ROTATIONAL SPEED THERETO; MOUNTING MEANS ON SAID BODY PORTION FOR DETACHABLY SUPPORTING A MISSILE THEREON INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROPULSION OF SAID MISSILE IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID BODY PORTION; AND MEAN CARRIED BY SAID BODY PORTION AND MANUALLY ACTUATABLE FOR SEQUENTIALLY IMPARTING BY MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION SUCH ROTATION TO SAID LAUNCHING MEANS AND BY MOVEMENT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION FOR DETACHING AND EFFECTING SUCH PROPULSION OF SUCH MISSILE FROM SAID MOUNTING MEANS. 